Lighting in the chicken coop: recommendations for system design

According to their physiology, birds are more sensitive to light than humans.
Their visual acuity is higher, but they can navigate well only in the presence of a sufficient amount of light. In the dark, chickens see practically nothing. This feature is widely used in poultry keeping technology - when the lights are turned off, the chickens stop all activity and fall asleep. Lighting for Chicks: Light and its Impact on Performance (read more)

The efficiency of poultry farming directly depends on the correct lighting.

What lighting to choose for a poultry house

The question of what kind of lighting should be in the chicken coop is one of the most important. The light in the chicken coop must be correctly selected: the required lamp power, suitable color and flicker frequency. Making the right choice among the huge assortment on the market is not at all difficult; it is only important to follow a few simple steps-recommendations when selecting lighting for a poultry house:

1. Remember a simple calculation: for 6 sq. m need 60 watts. Lamps in the required quantity are selected depending on the area of ​​the chicken coop.
2. It is better to choose fluorescent lamps with a power of 40 watts.
3. Fluorescent lamps can be replaced by fluorescent lamps with a flickering effect, but to avoid adverse effects on the visual system of hens and chicks, the recommended flicker frequency is 26 kHz.
4. You can opt for sodium lamps, they are standardly produced with a power of 50 watts and are ideal for lighting dark corners.
5. When choosing lighting for a home chicken coop, you should pay attention to the color of the lamps:

• blue color calms and prevents any aggressive actions in chickens;
• green color in the room of laying hens has a beneficial effect on their physical development;
• It is better to avoid red lighting in the chicken coop, because it reduces egg production in chickens;
• orange, unlike the previous color, on the contrary, increases the reproductive abilities of laying hens and increases the number of eggs.

A few more recommendations:

1. Due to the fact that the chicken coop must be wet, it is better to equip the room, all electrical wiring, sockets and electrical panels outside the poultry house.
2. It is recommended to use thick shades and protective nets on lamps in poultry houses. This will help avoid lamps breaking and injury to laying hens and chicks from fragments.
3. When installing lighting, you need to take into account the time of year and the daily biological rhythms of birds. This will be discussed in more detail below.
4. Brightness is also important. Newborn chicks require bright lighting, up to 30 lux, but older chickens (after 21 days) require minimal lighting, only about 5 lux. When a rooster is in the chicken coop, the brightness should be set to 15 lux.

You can turn off the lights in the chicken coop at night only after all the chickens are in their roosts, otherwise they will be disoriented and will not be able to find their place until dawn.

On a note! It is better to choose lamps that provide a smooth attenuation; the lighting of the chicken coop should be as natural as possible. A smooth transition from light to darkness will not cause aggression or panic in the birds, but an abrupt switching off, on the contrary, can lead to crowding and crowding in the poultry house.

Choosing a bactericidal lamp

A germicidal lamp is a rather serious medical device. To make a wise choice, you must have at least basic knowledge about the effects of infrared and ultraviolet rays on human health. Under natural conditions, the source of beneficial radiation for all living things is the sun. The desire of people to spend a vacation by the sea, bathing in the rays of the southern sun, is completely justified and is especially important for residents of the northern territories of the planet.

Under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, vitamin D is formed, which is necessary for the body to absorb calcium obtained from food. In addition: protein and carbohydrate metabolism improves, hematopoiesis and blood supply to tissues improves, skin vessels dilate, and blood pressure decreases. Ultraviolet radiation also has an analgesic effect, increases the body’s resistance to infections and viruses, helps cope with “winter depression” and has many other positive factors for our health. Considering all of the above, using a bactericidal lamp at home makes sense, but its use requires strict adherence to the instructions.

Since we are talking about health, before making a purchase, do not forget to consult a doctor and, in order to avoid counterfeits, use the services of only specialized medical equipment stores.

Germicidal ultraviolet lamps for the home are fluorescent and quartz. They differ in radiation spectrum, power, size and have different specializations. The choice of one model or another depends on the purpose for which you decide to buy a bactericidal lamp.

How and what does chicken coop lighting affect?

Light plays one of the most important roles in the life of all life on Earth, and chickens are only proof of this. Correctly selected lighting can have a beneficial effect on the productivity of birds, reduce the number of injuries, regulate their biorhythms and make the life of a poultry farmer much more comfortable.

The selection of a lamp for the chicken coop must be made taking into account its characteristics.

There are two important factors for assessing lighting in a poultry house: intensity and duration of daylight hours. The first of them helps regulate certain processes, and its benefit is expressed in the ability to:

• helping very young chickens find water and food;
• reducing the number of cases of aggression: pecking and trampling;
• carrying out various preventive procedures with birds without creating panic and causing moral harm to laying hens;
• reducing the timing of annual molting;
• exercise control over the younger generation of chickens.

The second factor also allows you to regulate some life processes of birds, among which are possible:

• regulation of the feed consumption process;
• acceleration of broiler growth;
• control over puberty and the beginning of laying eggs in laying hens;
• in the summer months it is possible to control the thermal regime of chickens.

Both factors are fundamental and significantly affect the life of the birds inside the chicken coop. Professional poultry farmers also distinguish 2 main light modes: continuous and intermittent. The first implies a clear day-night block, that is, the light regime changes twice a day, creating an artificial dawn and sunset. The second mode allows you to create several (2 or more) light blocks during the day. But experts are still inclined to continuously illuminate the chicken coop. Young animals, laying hens and broilers need to select different light modes with different light temperatures and time of illumination of the room.

On a note! darkness is an important period in the development and maturation of the bird’s body: at this time, bone tissue is formed, a change in calcium metabolism occurs, as a result of which the egg shell becomes thicker; The immune system is strengthened, so completely isolating chickens from the dark and keeping them in constant light is also wrong.

Lighting modes to increase egg production

Good lighting has a beneficial effect on the chicken's body and its productivity. But a significant increase in egg production in birds can be observed only if a certain light regime is observed.

Moreover, it is presented in several versions, each of which has its own characteristics and advantages.

hood with recuperator for a private home

Intermittent lighting for laying hens

The intermittent coop lighting mode involves periodically turning on and off the lights in the coop, which is carried out in accordance with a clear schedule.

At the same time, the total duration of daylight hours of 14 hours does not decrease.

When using this method in birds, the following positive changes can be observed:

Reference. Also, intermittent lighting, as opposed to constant lighting, involves lower feed costs and significant energy savings.

Intermittent lighting is a rather broad concept that only explains in general terms the principle of operation of the method. In practice, one of its subtypes is used: asymmetric or symmetric.

Asymmetrical lighting

This way of implementing lighting involves dividing the overall day into periods of light and darkness in an asymmetrical way. That is, each segment has a different duration.

For example, the following mode is often used:

In this scheme, only a 10-hour period without light is perceived by birds as night. The rest of the time for laying hens is subjective daylight hours.

This approach assumes the following positive changes in the livestock:

In addition, when using an asymmetrical lighting regime, approximately 40-50% of the bird's feed is given during the dark period.

This promotes better complete absorption of nutrients and calcium by the body, which goes into the formation of strong and large eggs.

Also, in the dark, chickens scatter less food and behave more calmly while eating.

Reference. Today, in egg farming, the asymmetrical approach is the most common.

Symmetrical lighting

Symmetrical lighting involves dividing the day into several equal periods of light and darkness.

For example, a chicken's day may consist of four 6-hour periods, with 3 hours of light and another 3 hours of darkness. In this case, in the perception of chickens there is no clear distinction between day and night.

This method is often used in factories that breed chickens for meat, since with such lighting the birds gain weight much faster.

But in the egg direction, symmetrical lighting is also used.

It leads to a decrease in egg production and desynchronization of the laying hen population, while the quality of eggs (shape, size, shell density) significantly increases.

Light intensity

It is measured in lux (Lx) and determines the brightness of light. To measure it, a special device is used - a lux meter. If you have some skill, you can determine the lighting intensity approximately, “by eye.” Almost complete darkness is 0.5-1 Lux, light twilight is about 5 Lux, bright artificial light in the room is about 50-70 Lux.

By changing the intensity of lighting in the poultry house, you can achieve the following goals:

• help day-old chicks find food and water;
• reduce the number of pecking incidents;
• carry out stress-free manipulations with birds (catching, vaccination, wing trimming, etc.);
• provoke annual molting, reduce its duration;
• control the development of pullets.

In large poultry farms with floor housing, the cost of organizing lighting amounts to up to 20% of the construction budget.

Chicken coop lamps: features, pros and cons

When planning to install artificial lighting in a poultry house, you first need to decide on the type of lamp.

They must meet a number of criteria:

• easy to clean from dirt;
• be resistant to moisture;
• consume a minimum amount of electricity;
• have a long service life.

It is also desirable that the lamp’s brightness can be adjusted so that the farmer has the opportunity to create a light regime that is comfortable for the birds in the poultry house.

Several types of lamps meet the above criteria. Each of them has its own characteristics, pros and cons, which are worth considering in more detail.

Incandescent

An incandescent lamp is the simplest and most affordable lighting device for a chicken coop. For a small utility chicken coop, they are ideal because they have numerous advantages:

1. The light of such lamps is quite bright, and it is in a light range that is comfortable for the bird’s eyes.
2. The cost of the lamps is very affordable, and you can buy them in any store.
3. Lighting devices with incandescent lamps do not require special maintenance.
4. Incandescent lamps work not only as lighting devices, but also as point sources of heat. If not one, but several of these lamps are placed in the chicken coop, the room will warm up much faster.

Figure 2. Incandescent lamps are considered obsolete
But, along with the advantages, such lamps also have disadvantages. In particular, they consume a lot of energy and are therefore rarely used on large poultry farms. The lamps themselves quickly fail and need frequent replacement (Figure 2).

Luminescent

Fluorescent, or fluorescent, lamps have replaced the usual incandescent lamps. But now even they are considered outdated (Figure 3).

They continue to be used in subsidiary farms due to several important advantages:

1. Just one lamp can illuminate a fairly large area, and the light will be uniform and bright.
2. As with incandescent lamps, fluorescent lamps are inexpensive and consume little energy.
3. Lighting devices of this type have a long service life, and even a person without special education can install them.

Figure 3. The light spectrum of fluorescent lamps is uncomfortable for chickens

In addition, the spectral range of such lamps is not suitable for chickens, and a failed lamp cannot simply be thrown away: it must be taken to a special recycling point.

Energy saving

It is energy-saving lamps that are now actively used at large poultry enterprises. In fact, these lighting fixtures have become an ideal replacement for fluorescent and incandescent lamps (Figure 4).

Energy saving light bulbs:

• have a long service life;
• consume a minimum of electricity;
• presented in a wide variety of light spectra;
• do not require the installation of special protective shades.

Energy-saving lamps have few disadvantages. Firstly, they are more expensive than other lighting devices, but the cost is offset by their long service life.

Figure 4. Energy-saving lamps are not suitable for farmsteads due to their high cost

Secondly, it is difficult to adjust the brightness in such lamps. In addition, used lamps must also be properly disposed of, as they are prohibited from being thrown into the trash.

LED

Lighting the chicken coop with LED lamps is considered the most progressive and correct. They are the ones most often used in poultry factories (Figure 5).

Figure 5. LED lamps are considered the most modern way to illuminate a chicken coop.

LED lamps have a long service life, are resistant to dirt and are available in a light range suitable for chickens. In addition, they are extremely easy to maintain, and most models have a dimmable function.

Length of daylight

Using the time of turning the light on and off, the following processes are regulated:

• feed consumption;
• broiler growth;
• puberty and the beginning of egg laying of laying hens;
• annual molt;
• in the hot season, the bird's heat production is controlled.

Based on these two indicators, a lighting program is drawn up. It can be continuous - with one block of darkness or intermittent (with two, three or even four blocks of darkness). In farming conditions, it is better to use continuous programs. They will be different for broilers, replacement chickens and laying hens.

Proper lighting helps chicks produce hormones that stimulate puberty.

Periods of darkness are very important for all birds without exception. At this time, bone tissue is formed, calcium metabolism changes (which is important for the strength of the shell), and important immunity factors are produced.

Therefore, 24-hour lighting is contraindicated for broilers and layers!

As for the color vision of chickens, low perception in the violet part of the spectrum is of practical importance. Chickens perceive blue light as darkness, so when catching and regrouping the flock, they use blue lamps.

Pros and cons of heating with an infrared lamp

Like any other type of heating, infrared lamps have advantages and disadvantages. They must be studied when choosing in order to understand the features and make a reasonable decision.

If the chicken coop has wiring for incandescent lighting, you can also connect a red lamp to it.

Advantages

The advantages of lamps for a chicken coop are much greater than the disadvantages. That is why they are used so often in different regions, including those where frosts in winter reach -40 degrees. The main advantages are:

This is the most environmentally friendly way to heat a poultry house. The lamps do not burn oxygen in the room and do not emit harmful substances, which allows you to create an ideal microclimate for laying hens. Essentially, infrared heating provides the conditions in which chickens feel best, so even winter is no obstacle to collecting the same number of eggs every day as in summer. The system works in different conditions with the same efficiency. There is no need to provide optimal humidity. Even if the air in the chicken coop is too humid, the lamp can be turned on without restrictions

Over time, it will ensure a decrease in humidity due to air heating and its optimal content, which is also important. Infrared radiation has a positive effect on the bird's immunity, increasing resistance to diseases. In addition, chickens normalize metabolic processes and improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract

The heat from the lamp is as close as possible to natural sunlight, which is why it is beneficial for laying hens. The efficiency is one of the highest. The lamp does not heat the air by radiating heat, but heats all surfaces under it, the efficiency is an order of magnitude higher. It is precisely the space that is nearby that is heated; the heat, according to physical laws, rises and warms the chickens on the roost. This option is best suited for poultry houses.

Infrared lamps emit both short, medium and long waves. Therefore, surfaces located at different distances from the radiation source are heated. This ensures high efficiency in rooms of different sizes and designs. This type of heating is much easier to install than any other. It is necessary to install the wiring and secure the lamps in suitable places. If you arrange water heating, you will have to lay pipes, and making a stove is also much more difficult and expensive. The costs are low, which is also important, and the system can be assembled in a day. When the equipment operates, no convection currents are created, so dust does not circulate throughout the chicken coop and the microclimate is not disturbed. It also does not burn, so there are no foreign odors, and the air does not dry out. Lamps and heaters operate silently, this is also important, since the bird may react poorly to constant hum.

The lamp not only heats the chicken coop, but also serves as lighting, which is quite enough for the birds.

Flaws

This solution also has disadvantages that need to be taken into account when choosing a heating method for the poultry house. There are not as many advantages as there are:

1. High price of lamps. They do not have a very long resource, so they need to be changed periodically. But if you compare it with the price of water or stove heating, the money saved will last for decades.
2. The surface heats up to a high temperature. Therefore, the heat source must be installed in such a way as to prevent human or bird contact with the heater. You can do otherwise and install a protective wire frame to prevent accidental contact and protect the chicken coop from fire.

To avoid burns from a hot surface, it is better to buy a lamp with a metal frame.

Recommendations for installing a lighting system in a chicken coop

A bright poultry house is convenient for both chickens and staff. When arranging lighting systems, different intensities are provided in different areas of the chicken coop. Thus, chickens prefer to feed when the illumination on the feeder is 60 lux, and for egg-laying and resting on the roost they will need twilight of 0.5-1 lux.

Depending on the size of the room, several lighting lines are installed. When kept in cages, they are placed above the passages between the batteries. The height of the lines should be such that workers do not touch them with their heads, but can easily reach them with their hands for changing lamps and other maintenance (about 1.8 - 2 m). It is recommended to purchase and use shades for lamps to protect them from dust and moisture. If necessary, the lampshades can be painted blue or red (reduces pecking in chickens).

If the feeders are located inside the cage (in the middle), then additional lighting should be provided above them in each cage.

It is advisable to automate turning the lights on and off by installing simple electromechanical relays. In small farms, the brightness can be reduced by replacing the bulbs with weaker ones or unscrewing them one at a time (although the uniformity of lighting will suffer).

In large farms, it is recommended to install a light control system that includes a “sunrise-sunset” function. It allows you to adjust the light intensity throughout the entire growing cycle without fiddling with light bulbs. In addition, with such a block, the light in the poultry house does not turn on abruptly, but smoothly, simulating the natural course of events. With this switching on and off, the chickens are not stressed.

In small farmsteads, it is quite possible to get by with natural light by providing windows. And to increase the duration of daylight in the winter season, hang one or more incandescent lamps above the feeders.

Too bright sun can become a problem during the early development of pullets - in this case, it is necessary to provide for the possibility of setting darkness in the poultry house (closing the windows with curtains or flaps).

Let's talk separately about which lamps are best used in the lighting system.

Breeding chickens in home cages

Breeding domestic chickens of any breed is rightfully recognized as one of the most profitable types of poultry farming. These birds provide humans with excellent meat and delicious eggs. Chickens are easy to care for, but they require a lot of free space. For this reason, not all poultry houses contain large numbers of birds at the same time. Recently, a solution to this problem has been found - cage housing of laying hens.

Cage keeping of chickens

This method allows you to save free space without reducing the number of the flock. Properly organized keeping of chickens in cages at home helps to simplify their care.

This article will help those readers who are seriously thinking about raising chickens like this on their property. The information contained in it will protect novice poultry keepers from common mistakes and tell you the tricks of this matter.

Advantages and disadvantages of different types of lamps

Ideally, poultry house lights should consume little energy, be resistant to dust and moisture, require little maintenance and be dimmable. Several types of lamps are used in poultry farming.

Where feeders are located, the lighting should be brighter.

Incandescent lamps

“Ilyich bulbs” are no longer relevant on large poultry farms due to high energy costs. However, in a small chicken coop they are quite appropriate.

Their advantages are as follows:

• low cost of the lamp;
• ease of maintenance;
• environmental friendliness;
• good spectral range of light;
• you can regulate the degree of incandescence using thyristor units;
• if necessary, they provide additional spot heating

Fluorescent Lamp

Classic fluorescent lamps for raising chickens are also becoming a thing of the past.

It is quite widespread. This type of lamps produces uniform white light, they are relatively inexpensive and consume little electricity. They are durable, easy to install, and the cost of maintaining such a system is low.

The disadvantages include:

• cheap fluorescent lamps give a flickering effect that the human eye does not catch, but which a bird sees;
• from the point of view of chickens, such a lamp has a poor spectral range;
• to be able to regulate the light intensity, you need to purchase lamps with dimmers, which in a chicken coop are very capricious and often fail;
• Used lamps cannot be thrown into the trash - they must be recycled.

Energy saving lamp

The advantages of such lamps:

• low energy consumption;
• the ability to select the desired spectrum (warm white).

The disadvantages include the following:

• high price;
• inability to properly adjust the desired brightness;
• in poultry house conditions they do not maintain the stated service life;
• Used lamps must be disposed of.

There are special colored poultry lamps on the market from . They are called “Orion” and work on the principle of conventional “energy saving” devices. True, the cost of such light bulbs is several times higher.

If you believe the manufacturer's recommendations, the combination of different colors (blue, white, red and green) in the poultry house increases the productivity of broilers and layers. Let us note that science on this issue does not yet provide clear answers.

LED bulbs

Today this is the most progressive type of lighting in poultry farms. LEDs have many advantages:

• long service life;
• resistance to dirt and damage;
• good spectrum of light;
• ease of maintenance;
• possibility of fine regulation of intensity;
• low power consumption.

Such systems are quite expensive, but even compared to energy-saving light bulbs, LEDs pay for themselves many times faster.

Cost-effectiveness of IR lamps

When using IR lamps to heat a chicken coop, we can safely talk about their profitability, because even in the coldest winters they are able to provide decent heating for a room with poultry. This can be explained by the high efficiency value, which can be achieved by transferring heat directly to the chickens and objects in the poultry house, and not to the surrounding air. In such conditions, not only the egg production of laying hens increases, but also the intensity of development of young birds increases.

If necessary, IR lamps can be used for spot heating (for example, an area of ​​a chicken coop with small chickens), but even if you install several elements in the center of the ceiling, then you don’t have to worry about the uniformity of heat distribution. To achieve this effect using alternative heating sources, you will have to spend more electricity, and therefore more money.

Practical recommendations for poultry house lighting

Light programs for broilers and egg poultry will differ in both daylength and intensity. When introducing day-old chicks into the poultry house, all types of chickens need bright light and long daylight hours. This way the chickens are better able to find food and water and get used to each other and to the environment in the room.

In large poultry farms with floor housing, the cost of organizing lighting amounts to up to 20% of the construction budget.

The first 5-7 days for broilers and 7-14 days for replacement young animals provide only one hour of darkness and maintain a brightness of 40-50 Lux. Next, programs are applied depending on the goals pursued.

As for an adult laying hen, the daylight hours for it should last 13-14 hours a day with a lighting intensity of 10-20 lux, which equals approximately 6 W per square meter of floor.

When keeping laying hens in cages, the light regime comes to one of the first places, along with the choice of cross and feeding.

Flaws

The disadvantages of cellular content include:

• making cages for laying hens with your own hands requires additional time and finances;
• the watering system, maintaining temperature and humidity are very expensive;
• the need for frequent litter removal;
• arrangement of ventilation;
• electricity costs.

You need to realistically assess the situation and calculate possible costs. Practice suggests that cage keeping is beneficial when the number of heads is at least five hundred .

How to Design Your Own Chicken Coop Lighting Program

If you are serious about raising broilers, then regarding maintenance you need to follow the recommendations of the manufacturer of each specific cross. Supplier companies post this information on official websites and distribute it in the form of a content guide.

Chicken coop in the country: drawings, instructions on how to make it yourself (read more)

The goal of any program is to organize feed intake in such a way as to stretch the chick's crop and give it the opportunity to first develop bones and then build muscle mass.

• Begin significant light restrictions when the bird reaches a weight of 100-150 grams, generally starting at 7 days. It may be necessary to start before day 7 (if excess weight is reached).
• After the first day from the start of light restriction, chicks will reduce their food intake to 20% of normal. It's not scary, she will recover within 2-3 days. In the future, the bird will consume a normal amount of food for its age, but with fewer hours of light. Chicks will develop a larger crop.
• Use one block of darkness. Use darkness at night, even with solid walls, to reduce the impact of light penetration.
• Keep the shutdown time the same throughout the growing period. The lighting period is changed using the light on time.
• In open-sided poultry houses, it is very important to know the time of sunrise and adjust the darkness accordingly.
• In general, they begin to reduce the period of darkness after the 21st day or when the chickens reach a weight of 800 g.
• Before slaughter, increase the “day” time to 23 hours. 24-48 hours before catching, increase the lighting intensity to 10-20 Lux to acclimatize the bird to catching.
• During the hot season of the year, you need to reduce the number of hours of darkness. Allow the bird to eat in the cool of the night.
• In summer, combine the greatest block of darkness with dawn. In winter, time the lights out at dusk so the bird wakes up during the coldest part of the night.
• It is best to organize a smooth switching on/off within an hour using a sunrise-sunset device.

Video “Heating a chicken coop in winter”

From the video you will learn how to heat a chicken coop in winter.

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Examples of lighting programs for broilers

It is irrational to be attached to age, because... There are many crosses of varying productivity. Therefore, they start from the calculated weight.

Weight less than 800 g. at 21 days of age

Weight 800-850 gr. at 21 days

Weight more than 850 g at 21 days

In the last two programs, it can be seen that darkness is used to slow down the rate of muscle building on a not yet strong skeleton.

Popular models

Infrared heaters are produced by imported and domestic manufacturers. The line of devices is represented by solutions with different technical parameters. From the huge range of heaters, the following models are distinguished.

Thermal phone ERGNA-0.7/220. Equipment for wall installation intended for heating residential and non-residential premises. It is fireproof and helps create a favorable microclimate for birds. The power of the device is 700 W - it is enough to heat a small room of 12-14 m2.

Popular manufacturers of IR lamps include the following, Philips, Repti-zoo and others.

Lighting programs for replacement young stock

Light directly affects the puberty of pullets. Therefore, the golden rule for raising laying hens is: never increase daylight hours during the development period.

If natural light penetrates into the house, the following can be recommended:

• Use supplementary lighting so that the amount of daylight from 8 weeks onwards is similar to natural light at 18 weeks of age.
• Use supplementary lighting to ensure sufficiently long days during the growing phase and then reduce them to natural days at 18 weeks of age.

In general, the lighting program for replacement chickens looks like this.

In this way we prepare the bird for egg laying and increasing feed consumption.

To summarize, we note that light plays an important role in the growth and development of chickens. These processes can be regulated using well-developed additional lighting programs, where the duration of daylight hours and lighting intensity are set. There are programs for adult laying hens, replacement chickens and broilers. They can be used in finished form, or they can be slightly modified depending on the resulting productivity.

Optimal conditions

In order for egg production to remain at a certain level, when kept indoors, it is necessary to ensure maximum favorable conditions. The entire structure must be carefully planned. It is very important to choose the correct shape and size of the cells.

This method of keeping chickens involves placing chickens in small groups: up to 6 individuals in one cage. Planting density is 100 sq cm per individual. If the birds are crowded, their productivity will be significantly reduced. When cage housing involves single houses, then 5 square meters is enough for chickens. cm per individual.

Winter poultry house lighting options

In winter, domestic chickens need light especially strongly, because the duration of natural daylight hours decreases - vital processes slow down, and chickens begin to lay fewer eggs. In order to prevent the loss of fertility of chickens in winter, it is necessary to install an artificial light regime.

Extending daylight hours in the chicken coop is simply necessary to ensure egg production in winter.

In winter, on frosty days, it is inconvenient to visit the chicken coop almost at night, so thoughtful poultry farmers have come up with a way to get rid of daily late visits - creating a relay. To do this, you need to purchase a timer. You can buy it anywhere: at the market, in a store or online. A cheap timer with a dozen modes would be a suitable option.

The average daylight hours should last about 14 hours. Lighting in a home chicken coop in winter is adjusted depending on daylight hours.

This condition will allow you to create the correct regime for the birds, and adherence to the regime ensures good growth and development for the birds.

Why chickens stopped laying eggs: what to do to get chickens to lay eggs in winter (read more)

How to place the lamp correctly

Just one IR lamp can cope with heating an area of ​​12 square meters. m, but its effectiveness will largely depend on the quality of the chicken coop insulation. On average, 250 W/hour is enough to maintain a normal temperature, but if there are decent gaps in the windows and doors, then this value is definitely not enough.

The infrared light flux has a clear directionality of its effect, so if it is necessary to regularly dry the litter, this nuance should also be taken into account (you can attach two light bulbs to the ceiling at a certain distance from each other).

It will be interesting to know what daylight hours should be in the chicken coop, what kind of lighting should be in the chicken coop and how to choose an infrared lamp for heating chickens.

The installation process for IR lamps looks like this:

1. Inserting wiring with a suitable cross-section into the chicken coop (it must be immediately placed in a protective corrugation).
2. Marking places for attaching lamp sockets (at a distance of at least 1 m from each other).
3. Fixing the sockets into which the lamps will later be screwed (given that infrared light sources get very hot during operation, it is advisable to use ceramic sockets for them).
4. Screwing in the IR lamps themselves and turning them on.

IR lamps are always hung so that they cover as much area of ​​the chicken coop as possible and do not come into contact with water, which can damage them if they come into contact with a single point. Important! If you decide to place them not on the ceiling, but in other places, you will have to create additional fencing to limit direct contact of birds with thermal elements. A metal sheathing is suitable for these purposes.

Effect of light on chickens

Chickens cannot live without light. Properly selected lighting will not only improve the productive system, but also reduce the number of injured individuals and correct their clock rhythms.

Lighting in a chicken coop involves dividing it into 2 components: the intensity of the light supply and the duration of its emission.

• small chickens will find food more easily;
• aggression will decrease;
• control over the growing process of chickens.

Bright light has a huge impact on chick development and subsequent productivity.

The first method is to change the mode twice a day so that the illusion of dawn and sunset appears in the room. With the second method, it is possible to carry out light changes throughout the day with several repetitions. If we take into account the opinion of experts about which mode is more productive, then farmers are inclined to the third option - continuous.